Abstract: This experiment used the agricultural physics method combining the moisture determining technique by neutron with the simulant microplot evaporation. The results showed that on non-irrigated land in the central region of Shanxi maize total water consumption was about 300 to 350mm in the whole growing period, water consumption from maize transpiration taking up 40%to 50% and water consumption from soil evaporation among plants 50% to 60%. The higher soil moisture was, the more soil evaporation among plants was. The results also showed that water evaporation was stronger in shallow soil and weaker in deep soil and that there was hardly any evaporation in the soil layer of 130 to 150cm. Although maize plant transpiration had some relations with soil evaporation, they belonged to two independent processes basically. Transpiration was significantly correlated with yield. The farmland hydrological balance "had an obvious effect on yield.

Key words: Moil-irrigated land, Maize, Water consumption, Hydrological balance, Agricultural physics method